Alberton Record
Go sweet with Cupcakes 4 kids with Cancer
On September 28, the much-anticipated National Cupcake Day 4 Kids with Cancer will be taking place at 21 malls in the Johannesburg region.
This event has taken place since 2012 to raise funds for Cupcakes of Hope, an NPC and PBO that supplies assistance and support to families and children who are diagnosed with cancer.
Sandy Cipriano, founder of Cupcakes of Hope (CoH), said: “We have assisted more than 10,000 patients over the past 10 years. My husband and I started to raise funds for children with cancer when a friend lost her three-year-old to cancer. In 2012, we registered the NPO Cupcakes of Hope.
“Since then, via the community-driven national cupcake days, over R10m has been raised to provide for hundreds of young cancer patients and their families every month. This includes covering their medical bills and other essential needs, from nappies to nutrition and everything in between.
“The youngest patient that has been helped was only four months old when first diagnosed.”
Oncologists, hospitals, social workers and Hospices all contact Cupcakes of Hope with requests to assist. They also help with requests from the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa)’s Tough Living with Cancer (TLC) programme that focuses on supporting the parents and caregivers of young cancer patients.
“The partnership is a continued strength of support for us, helping with several care and support packs for our little ones and parents,” said Anina Meiring, Cansa service manager: childhood cancer.
The Cupcake Angels (volunteer bakers) are the foundation that supports everything that is done via the NPO.
Located around the country, they make and sell cupcakes and donate the funds to Cupcakes of Hope.
Dawn Tiplady is a mall coordinator who is about to commence her 10th National Cupcake Day (NCD). “We joined after my daughter was diagnosed with leukaemia,” shared Tiplady.
“Along Daniella’s treatment journey, she was meeting lots of kids whose parents were financially challenged. I was a single mom, who thankfully had medical aid, but the cost of petrol, medications, special foods, and more, was financially challenging, and Daniella and I wanted to help.
“We started at markets, and then at NCD at East Rand Mall. Although Daniella has found her angel wings, she agrees with my decision to keep helping children with cancer. There is no way to describe how it feels to see faces light up at our hospital visits and to assist the parents in dealing with what they are going through. Being a ‘momcologist’ I understand what they are going through.”
Since 2020, the number of patients supported has quadrupled. Between January and July this year, 1,608 financial requests have been received, with 1,010 of them for patients in Gauteng. CoH is currently averaging around 220 requests per month.
“God truly has blessed our cause with the most amazing volunteers in the world!” highlighted Cipriano.
“Thousands of bakers and volunteers give their time, ingredients, love and passion all year, every year. There is honestly nothing sweeter to me than seeing the excitement and joy that everyone shows on our biggest day of the year, National Cupcake Day. From the feedback that we get from the public, they enjoy it too!”
Registration to bake and participate in National Cupcake Day 4 Children with Cancer is now open.
People can also participate by buying cupcakes on the day at any one of the malls below:
- The Glen
- Lemon Tree
- Mall of the South
